News : MG unveils CS SUV Concept at Auto Shanghai

The arrival of the MG CS Concept is tangible evidence that SAIC Motor has serious global plans for the British marque. It’s a concept that hints at the next-generation model to be released by the company – and, although there’s no indication if it will go on sale in the UK, the Chinese company has heavily hinted that will happen in 2015.

The CS Concept will have similar styling to the production MG SUV. It was styled in the UK by the SMTC Design Team based in Longbridge and design engineering will also take place in the UK. The car’s styling was overseen by Anthony Williams-Kenny, global design chief for SAIC Motor Passenger Vehicle Company Limited, and it’s hoped that it will prove to be strong opposition to crossovers, such as the Nissan Qashqai.

The CS SUV is based on SAIC’s Global A platform, the underpinnings also used on the MG6 and 5. It will be similarly sized to the MG5. It’s expected to be powered by SAIC’s 1.5- and 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engines, although the new 1.9-litre turbodiesel, recently debuted in the MG6, is likely to be available from launch in Europe.

With the launch of the MG6 in the UK being a rather low-key effort, hopes are now resting on the MG3 to establish the marque properly in the UK. The Golf-sized MG5 has yet to be confirmed for the UK market and may well be put back until after the production CS SUV goes on sale here.

If the bearings in Cecil Kimber’s grave have not already overheated and seized up, this ugly monstrosity will do it. The front end looks just like one of Titan’s Terror Fish and the back end makes the Panamera look well organized – some feat. Good thing the windows are so narrow: you’ll never be able to see out well enough to witness the full horror of another one.

8 years ago this would have been a dream, and now that this is reality it is disappointing to see so many knockers.

SAIC have a long game, they are testing the market with their current offerings (good as they are), once they have worked out the market and locked onto their style/USP, they will surge ahead in China and Europe. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

@18 – I wonder what the crack is with the Ssangyong thing? The messages from the Shanghai show were pretty clear that the two SUV’s considered would be possibly the Icon, and almost certainly the CS, which would be as close to the concept as possible – which makes this Ssangyong model redundant? but this is only a very recent spy-shot so I wonder what they are planning, or perhaps they just used the car as a mule for their own platform underneath? Either way, very intriguing!

Not a big “crossover” fan myself, and I’ve seen more attractive ones, but for whatever reason people are into these things nowadays. If the price and the marketing are right, and some of the fussiness of the styling is cleaned up, it could help the company’s fortunes in the UK. It might also help to launch the vehicle now instead of two years hence when the market might have changed.

Don’t matter what they produce if there’s no dealers to sell em.
There was one in Bradford and as I was nearby I thought lets see one for real. I found acres of empty tarmac, empty showroom and the dealer name removed from the signs. The MG logo was still there but it the impression it give me is it’s all over (again)

The Nissan Juke is a truly horrible car that should have been strangled at birth and which is driven exclusively by middle ages women who wanted to be yummy mummies. It is a Tardis inside out – no space at all inside but massive outside. You can’t see out – which is probably a good thing because you won’t notice people laughing at you.

This monstrosity looks like a cross between Judge Dredd and one of those horrid little Citroens with all the flashy bits on the front with a dash of Porsche Ugly Thing thrown in for good measure.

Excuse me I need to stick my head down the toilet…

If SAIC want to build an MG then they should start with a front engine rear wheel drive 2 seater sports car in the 1.6 – 2.0 litre class. Then they could do a 4 seater couple version of the same …. oh, hang on I’ve just described an MGB … which is still one of the prettiest cars ever built. So, start by building an MGB for the 2010s. Then produce a smaller 1.2 – 1.6 litre small sports car with 2 seats, sort of like a modern Midget.

There are plenty of valid styling clues that could be used, instead of making some bland anonymous Oriental junk that you will immediately lose in the supermarket car park.

I just don’t see it. But being nearly 50 I don’t understand the suv thing. The Rover TCV looked so much better 10 years ago to my eyes. However the market will like it and it might sell against the Nissan Junk (Juke) if priced from 14k. Increasingly MG has no relevance to its glorious past so until they put proper British interiors in them and style them better I will stay clear. Mini and JLR do so much better. I hope BMW bring out a Riley Mini and a Triumph Dolomite/ Spitfire and do the job properly.

@13,The link means zero,it has nothing to do with the concept above,SAIC had a share in Ssangyong years ago and there was issues regarding industrial secrets (no surprise)which co urts found in Ssangyongs (Mahindra bros) favour.
Forget MG harking back to the good old days,that killed Rover in the end and nearly did Jaguar in as well,hence the XF and XJ looking nothing like retro.

I think people should stop expecting, wanting some kind of modern day MGB. SAIC acquired the ‘in administration MG Rover’ as part of a plan to advance, develop themselves both at home in Chinas and in new markets across the world. A new roadster will hardly be their prime concern. The traditional MG bit is not their main focus – had BMW owned the MG name but not that of Rover then SAIC would be selling Rovers here in the UK and the rest of Europe.
The situation may not be a nostalgic ideal but it’s what we’ve got. I think SAIC and MG UK deserve more support, positive comment.

IM not so sure about it, but the tail lights on the car above for example are the sort of thing which should be on the MG6, not the reused Toyota ones. Styling wise if I had to choose between the Evoque, the Mini Cross Over thing, and the MG thing above, well this is the order I would choose, Evoque, Mini Crossover thing, Hyundai. if it was cost I had to choose on I would probably go second hand. alex

I see the references to the MGB above. MG has moved on and generally this is a good thing. Im sure in time they will come up with an MGB / MGF beater. regarding the references to RWD I agree and really the MG6 should be AWD if they want to be a road burner. But, if you want an MGB then you can still buy good second hand ones at very reasonable prices (not at all like the XKe for example). The problem I have with the MG’s of today and this is the only real problem, is their styling. I don’t have a problem with them being Chinese or that they bought a company that Britain couldn’t or wouldn’t save. The Styling is their problem. The MG6 doesn’t really grab you it is boring, its not pretty cute or aggressively sporty, it looks better in real life than it does in photos I admit but its not great. It looks better than the outgoing Mazda6 but not better than a Subaru Legacy. yet when you look at the Jaguar X’s and the Range Rovers, and AlfaRomeo (perhaps) you can see that the MG styling is just not there where is should be. Then of course the public are apprehensive about buying one of these cars. But I think generally these are the two issues which MG need to address. Styling and confidence. I think MG should give the 6 a better rear end treatment with Rocket booster tail lights and make it less like you are looking at someones big back side, leave the front alone at this stage (perhaps put an extra couple of lines in the Bonnet) and at least the very very least provide a better side body skirt kit where it is parallel to the ground (trust me I want MG to succeed). Alex

I quite like the softer lines of this MGs especially at the front end. I know it is dated now with respect to other cars, but One should bear in mind that some of the buyers might be granddad who wants a sporty looking car but doesn’t want a spaceship (a bit like after market car stereos – same problem they should be easy to use and easy on the eye). So it would make sense for China for example to be able to customise the front end look of a car by changing its face using 6 bolts in the show room to suit the customer. A bit like the last (if not all) of Rover Mini’s where you could select the grill / look you wanted. alex

Bear in mind that this is a concept car and we know how slow SAIC actually move. Nobody really buys hatchbacks anymore, its a dying sector, even supermini sales are tailing off, so the 3 is another clanger dropped. If they had actually bothered to look at how the European market has been shifting in the last 10 years, they wouldn’t have pratted about launching the 3 & 6, and pushed this concept forward.
This is what they needed 2 years ago, and I fear this is going to be a ‘closing the stable door after the horse has bolted’ moment for them

Keith Adams I must admit that, in my current role editing Classic Car Weekly and launching Modern Classics magazine (get your copy from WH Smith’s now – advert ends), I’ve rather taken my eye off the ball when [...]